A poem a day in April from Rutgers English PhD students and friends.

Monday, April 5, 2010

"The computer has no power below"

Message chosen
for my passing
by woman
on bench
in grey hoodie
floral skirt
with plastic bags
black suitcase
arm propping her up
across from
Jacob K. Javits
Federal Building
sunset of a
spring Monday

*

I take a bench further down

Others pass, receive or reject their koans

I watch the steps of the federal building, listening

No one thinks to pay her

The computer has no power below

*

Call her whatcha like
but I just got done
handing out poems
on the Brooklyn Bridge
so who's ya old bag lady now

*

The urge to romanticize park-shouters is strong
The urge to sympathize with bag-lady balladry, stronger
The urge to believe the computer has no power below
strongest of all

2 comments:

  1. you are ya old bag lady now! with your bag-lady balladry.

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  2. I love these phrases that we pick up on our urban radars that seem like they're from the oracle-- I guess an oracle with bag lady sybils...

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